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Persian Gulf Region

The Persian Gulf region — which includes Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq — contains an estimated 50 percent of the world's oil reserves and thus plays a strategic geopolitical role. RAND has a strong presence in and focus on the region, with an office in Doha, focusing primarily on domestic and regional issues such as education and development and on assisting U.S. and allied military forces in the region.

We recommend that the Gulf Cooperation Council countries pioneer a health care delivery model based on population health management principles and sophisticated health information technology, rather than copy existing Western models.

Nuclear negotiations should not be held hostage to all of the things Iran may be doing right or wrong. The conflicts in the Middle East are much more complex than “Iran on the march” theories would have us believe.

As ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reaches for control of the holy sites in and around Mecca and Medina and the wealth that comes with them, the U.S., NATO, and others should consider providing significant equipment and know-how to shore up the border defenses of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.

The recent increase of sectarian terrorism is best understood as a product of the ancient Sunni-Shiite divide, the growth of modern-day extremist groups, the Iranian-Saudi rivalry, and the growing phenomenon of fractured states.

While it is not surprising that the alleged letter from President Obama to Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei has upset domestic critics of the nuclear negotiations, the alleged correspondence has also unsettled Israel and Saudi Arabia, which fear a “bad” deal with Iran and even secret collusion between Washington and Tehran. But such concerns seem unfounded.

RAND assisted Silatech, a non-profit organization focused on enhancing Arab youth employment and engagement, in the development of indicators to help the organization track and improve its operations and maximize positive impacts on the lives of Arab youth. RAND provided practical recommendations on the management of the system as well as a set of guiding principles for implementation.

What might the Middle East and U.S. policy look like in the days after a deal with Iran? Experts posit that a final nuclear agreement is reached with Iran and then examine the potential responses of two U.S. partners in the region: Israel and Saudi Arabia.

President Barack Obama’s upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Abdullah offers an opportunity to engage in a much needed dialogue about the future of the conflict in Syria and to hear what a strong ally and friend has to say about stability in the region.

The RAND-Qatar Policy Institute (RQPI) carried out an independent forward-looking evaluation of Qatar Science & Technology Park and its alignment with Qatar's National Research Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030. This evaluation was carried out to identify both areas of success and those that could be further developed, and to make recommendations for future strategy.

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and RAND Corporation will complete a decade-long agreement that resulted in the establishment of the RAND Qatar Policy Institute (RQPI) in Doha.

The Geneva agreement is only a first step toward a comprehensive deal but it is an important achievement. Iran's ability to move toward a nuclear weapons breakout capability has been halted in return for limited sanctions relief.

It appears that Iran and the P5+1 are close to agreeing for Tehran to suspend major aspects of its program, including the enrichment of uranium to a medium level of 20 percent, and installation of more advanced centrifuges, in return for reversible and limited easing of sanctions.

Iran and the P5+1 (the U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia plus Germany) came tantalizingly close to reaching a nuclear deal this past weekend in Geneva, but the talks ended without an agreement. Although both Iran and the United States expressed optimism that much was achieved, a blame game between the different players soon ensued.

One of the things taken for granted in the United States is the vast network of school buses—about 26 million children ride 480,000 buses every day. But in other parts of the world, getting millions of children to and from the right school, on time, safely, and for a reasonable cost is a significant challenge.

There are good reasons for the United States to rethink how it counterbalances Iran, reassures local allies, and projects power with fewer resources. However, tying down large numbers of fighter aircraft in the Gulf is likely only to exacerbate old problems and create new ones.

Even as conflict rages, a wave of research and innovation in Arabian Gulf countries is bringing with it significant investment in science and research infrastructure — and even U.S.-style universities, writes Shelly Culbertson.

Qatar has a salsa scene. Dubai hosted the big international Fujairah Latin Festival. The Oman Salsa Festival took place in March. Jordan and Cairo both have a salsa scene. What makes this so conversation-worthy is that it is indicative of a growing cultural openness in parts of the Middle East.

Stimulating innovation is important to the economic growth of all countries, regardless of their stages of development. President and CEO Michael Rich discusses how RAND is helping foster technological innovation in China, Europe, and the Middle East.

Stimulating innovation is important to the economic growth of all countries, regardless of their stages of development. President and CEO Michael Rich discusses how RAND is helping foster technological innovation in China, Europe, and the Middle East.

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Researcher Spotlight

Director, Center for Middle East Public Policy

Dalia Dassa Kaye is the director of the Center for Middle East Public Policy and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. In 2011-2012 she was a visiting professor and fellow at UCLA's International Institute and Burkle Center. Before joining RAND, Kaye served as a Council on…

Project Associate

Mirka Vuollo is a member of RAND's formative consulting team tasked with reforming the K-12 school system of Qatar. She has previously worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland and for UCLA Extension. She has also worked for the Finnish Foreign…

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